Game's Discussion

Ok, cool thanks!

Now as:
And as Mandoric and Ronna both feel they've said too much, I suggest it makes most sense for Lucas to introduce the plan into the game thread.

We'll have to wait for the US to wake up in any case!

One thing to note: for Ronna, all the rolls are at +1 difficulty until the effects of the liquid end. So she'd probably be the last one to go.

Ack! Thanks for reminding me! I've been meaning to stock up on my Numenera materials from the sale, but haven't gotten around actually doing it.

I am downto express the solution in game but out of game it feels wrong. For a couple reasons.
A) Once againg, the four of us pretty much did exactly what we said we wouldn't do yesterday. Discussed the game to the point of leaving the other two without any agency in the dicussion. One of them may have found this solution had they been as active.
B) The hint. Or at least the in game data sphere intrusion that prevented us from knocking down the walls. The only reason Jax and I entertained the idea was that it sounded good. The hint took away player agency based on a small comment from way back and now here we are, with a solution, only because we were stopped from what sounded like a good idea to three of us based on the evidence we were presented.

I mean, I'll take the xp, I shouldn't complain, but our characters, when Mandoric weighed in with his experiments, were nowhere close to this type of solution, which given the nature of the ideas we were testing, would not have even been discussed if not for the the hint that we were on the wrong path. Sometimes players get on the wrong path and fuck the world up and you just roll with it. I would say in the future, we have be more consistent with player agency. Even if I announce the idea, can I award to the XP to Zyob/szelmy since they really had the least agency in all this?

Yeah similar thoughts have been troubling me too. Let's not make this suggestion? Let's just go and kill us some Avatrols? Or at least go for the lure them into the goo idea to give us an edge?

I think our PCs are stuck for ideas about the canals even if we three players have figured it out with a lot of help from the GM.

I'm not criticising you for helping us BlackStork - it's a perennial question about how much the GM should help stuck players.

I am ok with your choice, i tried to do some datasphere intrusion - you rolled alot of hight numbers on scan and such - afterall. and Mandoric is character who actually been close to this, and developed idea after it too. Ropes also the thing that might lead into use of cooperative actions.

My personal GM position is that Mandoric have rights to reveal the idea. He made so much experients , and even said base of the good idea - of strong helping weak.

I am ok with any way you go, i thought it could be easier for the party.... i been wrong abit here. And, of course any other options, be it flowers or Avatrols, will require certain level of creativity from the party, otherwise they wont be easy. They wont finish the game, but could be harder than brave glaives think it will be. Creativity is a key. As well as team play.

If party choose to go for Avatrols i wont award any experience.
If Mandoric actually declares the idea, ( and i think he is only one person who is really could do that, HE BEEN CLOSE to it, afterall), then three members get XP for just trying and going nuts with their experiements.

My help was.. legit. I actually did not helped you when you called for idea 1st time. And Zinobia tried even to mess things abit.
Mandoric rolled alot of high numbers on his scans and checks, so got detasphere intrusion.
You had few ideas, that , as i think, when mixed could be nice base for forming the correct one - the idea of team work and catching trained people who go first on longest but easiest route.

I'm grateful for your encoragement, but in-game that original suggestion was ignored, and I went off on those fun and for me fascinating experiments.

I also agree with themighykobold's point B about agency. It would have been fun for the glaives to try smashing some walls even if it didn't lead to anything. I think that would have been the best way to find out Mandoric's theory was wrong, not the datasphere thing when I wasn't even using my Numenera skill.

And themightykobold's point A all the way - we need to be careful to allow each player equal agency, which as far as I can see means waiting until everyone responds, even if some of us are itching to move things along.

I'm having a great time playing this game by the way, just learning the ins and outs of pbp! :-)

Well, mistakes been made - we all 4 run too fast, not leaving chance for other 2 players to participate. Now, as we realized hwo to do right, we are moving on.

I als think that involved glaive players were able to propose correct ideas, but we are not there at the moment.

Also, as you figured, the setting is not cakewalk. So i leave for me, GM, some rights for intrusions.
It just start, i mean, it just start of Act 1, and actual game and Octagon setting start at it's fullest from Act 2.
And all we have gone through till now helps us to adjust things before we actually dive into Octagon, which is really complex, living world with alot of choices and reactivity and quite riddled as well. I, you, and the setting, this is the stage when we learning each other, for further Act 2 game

I agree on point about agency. As i said, this part exist to learn the setting and GM for the players, and to learn the players and do some work-outs and learn his mistakes for GM.

PS As another option i could leave for me to act on Zinobia behalf. He , actually able to propose ideas as well. But i want to do things that are percieved as correct by players. So:

1. Party goes for Avatrols. As some figured simple fight wont be easy. Some creativity will be required.
2. Mandoric declares abot the idea, Lucas, Mandoric and Ronna get XP.
3. Zinobia propose to develop this idea of Mandoric, Only Mandoric will get XP (and Zinobia)

Tell me what you percieve as most correct. I am fine with any of those.

Ah I see. That's helpful to know Act 1 is a sort of training ground. Whatever we do about the canals, our discussion today was certainly useful to me as a player to properly engage w Corebook 102 and how we can assist each other.

From where I'm standing you're doing a great job, BlackStork, and I'm looking forward to the Octagon!

Seriously, I suggest:

4. Wait to see what Nyom and Jax suggest, and take things fron there :-)

Thanks friend! :)
Now, dear players, please just choose the option of urther development you percieve the most correct from ones i listed in my previous post.

Ok, sure , thats correct, simply their characters already voiced for attacking Avatrols.
But ye, lets wait abit.
Let's play a game ow, you can cast your in-game in-character votes or wait for glaives and do that after them

I made separator post in the games thread. I will need each character to post once after it in order to advance. And actually any character still is free to come with team help idea. As I said Act 1 is introduction before real Octagon starts, and it aims to introduce gm to players and vice versa, and to find and solve any issues which could arise before the game.
The setting could be riddled sometimes, and is not hack-and-slash cakewalk game. Team cooperation and creativity are keys to overcome challenges of the Ninth World. Character sheet will be not sufficient tool to solve encounters in most of times, but creative and smart use of it, world around, and teamwork.

BlackStork, did Zinobia deliberately not answer Mandoric's question about the cypher?
Mandoric suggested Zinobia could use this to lure the creatures, from a safe distance and place of course. I figured Zinobia would know which animal noise would have the desired effect on the Avatrols.

I know. Zinobia said that there is simply better solution, that will work better, because it will call animals closer, and make them more enraged and less cautios. This will save the cypher for Mandoric and will do better effect.
He is local flora and fauna specialist, and, there is good reason to listen him on his expert knowledge. :)
Ps added one sentence into Zenobia's answer.

I just remembered that Ronna has an inability with movement-based tasks. So I guess for her, all the jumps are two steps more difficult right now. One of the reasons I had picked the Far Step esotory for her: to compensate for her awkwardness in rapid movement.

How large is that field of flowers, by the way?

1. Movement with Far Step is pure Int/mental action. It moves Ronna in second for distance of 50-70 meters, making Ronna fastest moving character in the group at expense of her mental resources - and that is part of Ronna understanding and knowledge, and probably known fact to ones who saw Ronna's trick during the hound fight.
2. Field of Flowers is huge. To get to other side of the canals, to big gray platform she need to cross lesser distance - about 300 meters. Technically, Ronna could cross the field of flowers, but alone. IT is unknown how she will feel herself inside of the field, though.
3. My suggestion for you is to check different details with me here, and then to make post after analysis is made by your character (which could require details which i could provide on your (Ronna's attention and analysis) request here) :) It's ok to edit post though if you want to extend your action/proposition
4. Party deicided on fighting Avatrols. If Avatorls will be defeated there will be no need to run through canals or thru field. , the party will be able to travel by land. Leaving party alone when they plan on fighting avatrols without her help, and moving through field of flowers alone will be really self-centered, bad move.

Can't Ronna also use a recovery roll to get over the effect of the canal liquid?

Hmm. Ok. Yes. She will need 2 recovery rolls for that (since she have 2 stacked effects) in order to cure back to Speed diff modifier 0. The effect of canal liquid affects only Speed rolls. It does not affect any Int or Might rolls btw.